Juno left us on 8th January 2008, just 8 days short of her 12th birthday.

Juno was mum to everyone. She was the foundation of Aritaur and we knew what we had from the start. At that time we just used to do local exemption shows, and she once won 12 Best In Shows in a year – oh the dizzy heights!
Juno was a Ch Holtzburg Mayhem daughter out of Holtzburg Dior from Crislea, and was a double Mayhem grand-daughter. She had 3 wonderful litters with fabulous puppies in each. Juno didn't have just one good puppy; each litter had so many winners – Juno had 10 Stud Book number winners from 3 litters, 4 Champion children and so far, 2 Champion grandchildren.

Juno
aged 9. Photo by Dean Sawyer

Juno was our training dog in every sense. If a dog came for training who was nervous, disrespectful of other dogs or who wouldn’t recall, Juno joined us to teach them how to behave. Dogs just followed her naturally. Everyone was always impressed with her regal, calm nature and she was the utmost ambassador for our breed. Kind, funny, sweet natured and very much the boss, Juno brought up her babies and many other litters with gentleness and firmness. No puppy stepped out of line with Juno – and no adult for that matter! She would raise an eyebrow and the culprit would drop down and try to ingratiate themselves with her.
As she grew older, she came up to do the hens with me in the morning and enjoyed pottering around. She’d even risk a gallop just the week before she died but quickly settled to a more sedate pace when we warned her she’d pay for her excesses that evening.
Juno never had one day of sickness in her life. We were once terrified she had bloat, then discovered she’d raided the neighbours’ 7.5 kg sack of dog food on a visit there.
Juno was everything and more to us – she really was our shining light and we’re miss her every evening when there's no reminder that it’s getting earlier for biscuit time each night. Even with the other dogs, it’s very empty here and our hearts are very heavy.
Juno knew she was loved overwhelmingly – everyone was a friend to her, if you knew her you loved her, and we were very blessed to share her time with us.
To those who have Aritaur dogs, or dogs by our boys, please don’t ever forget her and remember that your dogs are very special with that bit of Juno in them.

Juno had 3 litters
and from those 3 litters, had 10 Stud Book Number Winning Progeny. Two daughters became UK Champions, another
is a Dutch Champion and European Jugend Siegerin 2002 and another is Lux & Dutch Champion. Juno's last show was at Birmingham
Dobermann Club, where she won Best Veteran Bitch subsequently won by her Champion daughter Aritaur Surprisingly Soba.

Every kennel needs
the very best bitches as their foundation, and although Juno did not achieve Top Brood Bitch herself, her daughter Dominatrix gained this great accolade in style for Top Brood Bitch for the breed and the topping the league for Top Brood Bitch of the UK Working Group 2007.

Junos first litter in 1997
to a son of Ch Sallate Ferris,
produced A. Flip Fantasia JW,1
CC, 1 RCC (Java), A. Midnight Rave1
RCC (Caius)
& A. Judgement Knight from Khaneve. All three gained
their stud book numbers, and after a very successful show career,
will be shown in Veteran next year to make way for our younger
dogs.

Juno's second litter in January
2000 was by Ch Miendy's Soba Up JW
'Levi', and produced 8 puppies 5 shown at Ch shows all of whom
qualified for Crufts by 7 months. At 6 months, 4 days,Champion Aritaur Surprisingly Soba
(Honey) showed her future promise by winningReserve
Best Puppy In Show~ beating hundreds of other
puppies of all breeds at National Working & Pastoral Breeds
Championship show in July 2000. Her litter sister also became a
Champion Aritaur A Little More Soba, our 'Riva' and Aritaur Storm
Damage 'Jed' won 2 RCC's.
Click HERE for further information
on that litter.

In May 2001, we
took Juno to Belgium to be mated for her 3rd and final litter to
German VDH Champion Ramonburgs Valdo.
From this mating, 3 Bitches are shown ~ Dutch
Ch A. Dominatrix, Dutch & Lux Ch A. Dolce Vita and A. Diamante Nero,
who all qualified and each have so far each achieved numerous Best
of Breeds. Ned Ch A. Dominatrix
won the Europa Jugend Siegerin
title at The Euro Dog Show Paris 2002, and her Belgian Winner Title,
gaining her major recognition in Europe.

Keeping each other company then and now - Juno & Biba

Keeping the cats out of Juno's whelping box was impossible as it had a lovely warm heat lamp, but Juno was always very relaxed, even when Hebe smacked a puppy for trying to suckle on her when she was sleeping!

Did someone mention a biscuit?!

I didn't get to say goodbye to you Juno, I refused to believe that you were ever going to go, but if I could look into your big brown eyes just once more, you would know that no-one could ever have loved you more. You were one of the lucky ones to have been loved so much and we were so lucky to have been able to love you.